


I Am But A Dream

by nanakomatsus



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Like really slow, Slow Build, i need this for myself, jihoon appears a bit later, pls watch xxxholic its amazing, the xxxholic au ive been itching for a very long time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-12-02 03:25:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11500800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanakomatsus/pseuds/nanakomatsus
Summary: Once, a boy had a dream. Twirling, twirling, flying, flying. So happy in his freedom. The boy believed himself to be a butterfly. But when he opened his eyes, he was no butterfly, only a mere human.Then he thought to himself:Did I just dream I was a butterfly or is this a dream as well?





	1. 必然 (Inevitability)

**Author's Note:**

> Here is another anime-inspired fic from moi! Based on CLAMP's xxxHolic (and a few easter eggs here and there)

 

_\- you don't belong only to yourself -_

 

 

Winter is awful. It’s cold and everything gets wet with snow when you enter a house. The sun is never out, the air is always eerily quiet and it gets too dark too fast.

 

_Ah, but summer is worse,_ Jonghyun concludes as he lays on bright green grass, sun filtering through the leaves of the willow tree above him.

 

The insects make too much noise. He sweats too easily and is forced out of his room to cool down at the veranda, Final Fantasy on pause and game unsaved. He doesn’t have any plans for his next couple of months off but the thought barely crosses his mind as he tries to calculate how many hours he can spend a day gaming without going brain-dead.

 

Then, a head of chestnut coloured hair appears the corner of his eyes, and slowly coming into full view is a fair face full of eye smile.

 

“Jonghyun-ah! What are you doing sleeping here alone?! Let’s go go go! The arcade is waiting for us!” The boy yells in his face excitedly. He can’t stop the tugging of his lips as he lets his friend yank him up.

 

“Class is over?” Jonghyun asks as rather dazedly. Minhyun laughs in those distinct single-syllables of his as he throws his arm around his shorter friend who grunts at the sudden weight being forced upon him.

 

“Nope, just halfway through. Almost everyone left while Mr. Seokhoon took a restroom break. We all just walked out. Easy,” he says breezily. Jonghyun sighs beneath him tiredly.

 

“Can we just hang out at my place?” He asks. Minhyun frowns and tightens his arm around his neck to prevent him from escaping. Jonghyun chokes and tries to pry himself free but to no avail.

 

“It’s summer, live a little, Jonghyun-ah! And by that, I don’t mean skipping class to go sleep under a tree!”

 

The shorter boy rolls his eyes and mutters something along the lines of ‘I’ve had enough of living’ and ‘I’m halfway through the final level-’. Minhyun blocks his whining out and continues to drag him out the school gate.

 

The victim gives up on trying to resist as soon as they get out of the school compound and are heading towards the train station a few streets away. Slowly, his hands come up to rest around his taller friend’s waist and in turn, the headlock around his neck loosens. And they walk like that all the way to the station, smiling in silence.

 

The train’s quite empty at this time and the only other passengers are other kids in their own school uniforms, probably skipping summer classes just as they are. The two boys sit beside each other and together, begin observing people. It’s a habit they’ve both had since middle school. For some reason, their eyes would catch the same person and they’d exchange mischievous looks and make soft, one-worded remarks.

 

Today, it’s a boy with curly brown hair who looks to be slightly younger than them. He’s not in his school uniform. Instead, he sport a bright red and yellow-striped sweater with loose black pants, large circular-rimmed glasses and perched carefully on his head is a-

 

“Beret,” Minhyun whispers to Jonghyun, who tears his eyes away from the comic books in his hands for a moment to look. A smile spreads across his lips and he nods in approval.

 

The boy is looking out the window with earphones plugged in and a calm, mature look on his face, which is odd for someone his age. Just then, the next stop is announced and he blinks out of his reverie and stuffs his music player into his bag. The train silently comes to a halt a few seconds later and the boy rushes out.

 

“Shame. Would’ve talked to him if he’d stayed any longer,” Minhyun muttered, leaning back into his seat. Jonghyun doesn’t seem to be listening, though, he’s too caught up in whatever zombie apocalypse is happening in the pages he’s holding.

 

They get off three stops later, at a particularly busy station near the famous entertainment district of their city. They can already hear the hustle-bustle of the many other youths who, just like them, have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do during their much-too-free holiday. Jonghyun can already feel the loud, clashing noises of the many arcades that are crammed into this particular corner of the city pulsing through the air. Minhyun taps him on the shoulder, mouthing a ‘You coming or what?’ before skipping ahead. He readjusts the strap of his backpack and jogs a bit to catch up to his friend.

 

 

 

It is almost evening by the time they decide to call it quits for the day. The sun is about to set. The city is coloured different shades of gold, red and orange. Tokyo is a dream at times like this, when the skyscrapers reflect the sun to create the most brilliant views for pedestrians below. The neon signs are beginning to light up everywhere. It’s a signal to the start of a different part of the day.

 

“Hey, there’s this place I know. Could we stop by for a while? We’ll be back before dinner, I promise,” Minhyun says, suddenly stopping in his tracks.

 

Jonghyun raises an eyebrow. Hwang Minhyun -who only visits the city center once every few months with his older sisters for a formal family dinner (even though they live only a few stations away)- knows places? This is new.

 

He opens his mouth to decline but can’t seem to get the words out. With a small sigh, he relents and nods. Minhyun smiles wider than he had the whole day.

 

Jonghyun trails behind Minhyun who seems to know his way around pretty well as he leads them with certainty through a few quiet back streets, where Tokyo suddenly feels like a distant memory.

 

“Where are we going?” Asks his friend. Minhyun merely shrugs and throws him a strange half-smile.

 

“It’s just a shop I want to check out. They sell cool antiques,” he responds rather flatly. _More new information,_ Jonghyun thinks. They’d been friends for nearly five years and this is the first time he’s ever heard the taller boy mention anything about antiques, much less show any interest in old, expensive things at all.

 

“You’ve been there before?”

 

There is a still, suffocating pause before that half-smile graces Minhyun’s lips once again.

 

“Nope.”

 

 

 

They end up in a quieter part of the city after a few more minutes of walking and Minhyun navigating quietly. Jonghyun does not press his friend for an explanation and instead observes him from behind. His broad shoulders are tense, his walk slightly more rigid, back straight. _What’s gotten into him?_

 

The shorter boy’s eyes begin to wander to scan his surroundings. The buildings that surround them aren’t any of the fancy skyscapers Tokyo is known for, instead boring, gray concrete buildings look above them. The orange of the sun mixes badly with the dull colours and everything suddenly seems empty and murky. There are barely any people around. In fact, Jonghyun spares a look over his shoulder, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of life at all.

 

There is a sudden cold breeze that washes over them, sending chills down Jonghyun’s back, causing the hairs on his neck to stand. The silence is beginning to eat away at him and he swallows the rising panic.

 

“Hey, Min-”

 

“We’re here.”

 

They come to a stop in front of a lot fitted between two of the many identical gray buildings. There isn’t even a gate separating the land from the street. The grass is overgrown with cattails. It is empty. There is no sign of a building anywhere on the small box of a land.

 

“Minhyun? What- Is this your idea of a joke?” Jonghyun can’t help the sudden outburst. His friend turns to him, a confused look on his face.

 

“What do you mean?” He asks softly. The black-haired boy begins shaking his head, backing away.

 

“What do _I_ mean? I _mean,_ what the hell are we doing here? You said we were looking for a shop-”

 

“But we’ve already- oh. Oh,” Minhyun’s eyebrows furrow and he trails off, deep in thought. Meanwhile, Jonghyun stands there breathless and _what is this guy doing right now?_ Suddenly, the taller boy straightens. The expression on his face is placid and cold in just a second.

 

“You’re right, I was wrong to do this to you. I must’ve been mistaken. Look, I’ll make it up to you. Let’s go home,” he says, slowly raising his head to meet Jonghyun’s eyes. Those aren’t the warm browns Jonghyun knows. It’s been replaced by something far away and detached.

 

“What-” he starts but is cut off by Minhyun suddenly grabbing his hand and dragging him with him. He can’t even catch a breath, try to shout, can't anything and they’re going too fast. The empty buildings pass by in a blur and all Jonghyun can really see is Minhyun’s hand wrapped firmly around his. 

 

 

 

And then they’re standing in the middle of the Shibuya crossing. It is night. The neon lights cast their bright purples and pinks and yellows on the thousands of others bustling around them.

 

Jonghyun feels like throwing up.

 

But the grip around his hand returns again and he’s being dragged into the sea of people without even managing to breathe properly.

 

“What the fuck was all that about?!” He half-yells at Minhyun, holding his head in his hands, trying to calm himself down. His head is about to burst.

 

They had arrived at their station a few minutes ago and Jonghyun had immediately ran to the bathroom to spill his guts out. It didn’t help. There was still that suffocating feeling of unrest at the pit of his stomach.

 

Now, they stand facing each other under the dim glow of a streetlight.

 

The brunette does not answer immediately and instead, stares at his friend blankly. Jonghyun holds himself back. Barely. He waits patiently for a response.

 

“I can’t explain it to you. I don’t know how.”

 

“ _Bullshit!_ You dragged us there! How did we even get out? Why was it night when we were at the Crossing? We were barely there for _ten minutes_ and the sun hadn’t set when we were walking to-” Jonghyun’s eyes widened in sudden realisation.

 

“What did you see at that place?” He asks, lowering his voice and striding forward towards the boy. Minhyun doesn’t even blink. His gaze pierces Jonghyun. The warm browns of his eyes are hollow and almost gone under the yellow light.

 

“I can’t tell you because I don’t know how,” he says evenly, coldly.

 

“You don’t know? How is it possible-”

 

“Jonghyun. I promise I will when I can. Just, not today. It’s not possible,” he says with a tone of finality. The shorter boy can feel his body shaking and only then does he realize how exhausted he was.

 

There were too many questions filling up his head. He couldn’t take it anymore. With a tired sigh, Jonghyun lets his shoulders fall and feels his whole body begin to shut down.

 

“I’m going home.”

 

There is no response. Minhyun is gone.

 

 

 

Jonghyun sees red in his dreams that night. He’d never thought it was possible to dream in monochrome but here he is. He can hear disjointed noises shifting around in the darkness around him, like someone was twisting the nob on a radio that couldn’t get a strong enough signal. There are random flashes of images that seem distinctly familiar yet distant: blooming flower petals; sun filtering through leaves; the setting sun. A train passes by very close behind him at full speed, his hair is in a flurry from the wind.

 

Then, he’s standing on the street, staring at the empty cattail-infested lot. The static gets louder. Suddenly, there is an old wooden structure- a traditional house- standing at the center of the plot of land. Jonghyun blinks once and it’s gone. A second later, it appears once again and continues flickering in and out of existence, like the images on a malfunctioning TV.

 

He tears his eyes away and looks down at his hands. There is blood everywhere. He exclaims in surprise and tries to wipe it off on his shirt but it won’t come off. Then he notices that the red, metallic liquid is seeping through the cracks in the pavement around him. The street, the wooden house, the buildings and everything around him fade away. Until all that’s left is black.

 

 

 

When he wakes up, it is day time. For some reason, he’s sat on the ground, body trembling. There is a large weight pressing down on his legs.

 

He is holding Minhyun in his arms.

 

His eyes widen in horror as he sees blood trickling down the side of his friend’s arms and neck. The boy shifts in his hold with an audible groan. His breathing is shallow, his eyes are closed. Jonghyun’s breath hitches in his throat and panic begins to cloud all thoughts in his mind. He forces down the bile that threatens to spill out of his body. This is real. There is no doubt about it.

 

He whips his head around frantically but there is not a soul in sight. A car is wedged into the lamp post beside them, steam coming out of its hood. The driver is nowhere to be found, not a trace of human activity.

 

“Help! Someone help! Please,” he begins to scream hysterically. The last bit of consciousness he has makes him pause and suck in a sharp breath.

 

With one violently shaky hand, he began to pat himself down, searching for his phone. Nothing. His pockets were completely empty, not even his wallet was with him. The blood - _oh god, Minhyun’s blood_ \- was beginning to completely soak through his pants and shirt. The boy was completely unconscious. Jonghyun is beginning to feel lightheaded himself. He throws his head back, closes his eyes and a tear rolls down the side of his face as he faces the sky.

 

_Please, God, anyone out there-_

 

Then, the static noises from last night’s dream begin to pulse through his mind. There is a new addition; the sound of creaking wood. A flash of yellow grass.

 

He opens his eyes immediately and his vision is filled with familiar gray, glassy industrial buildings towering above them. The sky is a bright blue with fluffy white clouds, a glaring contrast to his surroundings and the situation he’s being faced with.

 

He looks around him, assessing his whereabouts. For some reason, he knows exactly where they are. He takes a deep breath, willing himself to stay calm. Getting help for Minhyun is his priority right now.

 

With a heave that seems to take all the strength he has left for the next 20 years of his life, Jonghyun manages to get Minhyun onto his back as gently as he can. HE doesn’t want to risk hurting his friend even more.

 

He takes one step forward. And another. And dozens more, until they are steadily moving. He doesn’t think about the directions he just somehow knows exactly where to go.

 

After what seems to feel like hours, a gentle breeze greets them in the direction of the empty lot.

 

Except that now, it isn’t empty anymore.

 

Jonghyun is standing right at the edge of the street, one step from entering the compound of a quaint traditional wooden chalet. The cattails are gone, replaced by a sophisticated stone garden. Flowers hang along the roof in abundance. The building is obviously old but well-kept. It might’ve been a comforting sight to anyone else, but the feeling of uneasiness in Jonghyun’s stomach seems to be getting stronger.

 

“H-hello? Is anyone there? My friend- he’s… he’s hurt. He needs help,” he calls out, not bothering to mask the desperation in his voice. There is absolute silence, no response. His whole body begins to tremble as he stands there sobbing, his wounded friend hanging off of his back.

 

Then a powerful gust of wind blows past him.

 

“Are you willing to pay?” Comes a voice. He looks around desperately for the speaker.

 

“Kim Jonghyun. Let me ask you one more time. Are you willing to pay?” says the voice, harsher now.

 

The sky turns gray like the concrete buildings that surround them. Thunder rumbles in the clouds above. It starts to rain.

 

The cold pierces through his bones. His whole body aches. Minhyun is suffering because of him right now. He doesn’t think twice.

 

“Yes. Yes! Just- please. Save Minhyun,” he answers through sobs.

 

Suddenly, the air stills and there is a boy who looks to be around his age, holding a parasol, walking towards them.

 

And he is the most beautiful person Jonghyun has ever seen in his life. Pale skin, long, jet-black hair tied in a low ponytail, gray eyes that seem to see right through him, lips a visible pink even through the blur of the rain. He wears an elaborate maroon and navy blue kimono and a pair of geta. His face is expressionless, detached and almost disinterested as he studies his guests.  

 

Jonghyun is so in shock, so mesmerized by the person walking towards him he doesn’t even realize the weight of his friend being lifted off his back until he sees two men laying him on a stretcher and taking him into the building.

 

He jumps forward, arms outstretched.

 

“Min-!” he begins to shout.

 

“The price,” the boy says. His tone is flat, icy, bordering on hostile. Jonghyun freezes and turns to him, eyes wide and wild.

 

“Come in and we’ll discuss it. Wouldn’t want you dying before your friend does, do we?” he says nonchalantly and in one graceful motion, turns on his heel and heads into the wooden structure. In a daze, Jonghyun is about to take his first step when he collapses.

 

The world fades to darkness as the rain continues to pour, uncaring, merciless.

 

 

 

It is the smell of honey and unfamiliar warmth that wakes Jonghyun up. He sits up with a start, head whipping around immediately, searching for his childhood friend.

 

"He's asleep in another room. Baekho has him taken care of," comes a lazy slur. He slowly turns to the voice.

 

The boy from before sits draped over a deep blue velvet chaise lounge chair. There are detailed carvings of flowers and unidentifiable patterns filled in with gold along the wooden frame. His dark hair cascades over his shoulders like waterfalls. His haunting gray eyes pierce through Jonghyun and he feels exposed, as if the boy would devulge some dark part of him he didn't know he had (in the future, this is exactly what happens, not yet).

 

"How long was I out?" He manages to ask. His voice is hoarse and comes out a little more than a croak.

 

The boy hums, taking a deep drag on his black and silver kiseru. He takes his time answering, releasing the smoke through his mouth slowly, letting it form long, winding patterns through the air.

 

"About a day in your world. Time is different here. It's only been a few hours for us," he says, eyes training on the purple vapour weaving around him.

 

Jonghyun gawks. It's been a day... their parents must be worried. He should at least call his sisters to let them know he was fine-

 

"I think I've given you enough time to rest and clear your thoughts, Kim Jonghyun," The boy's tone is suddenly sharp as he continues trying to pierce his gaze through his guest's skull.

 

"And now, the price of saving Hwang Minhyun."

 

In one graceful motion, the boy is standing and making his way towards him. Jonghyun has to keep himself from shrinking away. He has a friend to protect and whatever this stranger wants is not going to stop him.

 

“I’ll pay you as much as you want, just let us out of here,” he says. The boy raises an eyebrow as he comes to a stop, standing over him.

 

“I doubt any amount of money you could ever get your hands on would satisfy me, but that is not how payment works here. For everything you wish, you have to pay an equal price in return. You can't get more or give more. You can't get less or give less. It must be in balance, or else there will be chaos. Yesterday, you wished- no, begged for me to save Hwang Minhyun. I did, and therefore a fitting price must be paid.”

 

The air turns cold and a dangerous glint appears in the host’s eyes. Jonghyun will not back down. He steels himself and speaks.

 

“What do you want?”

 

The boy smirks.

 

“Work for me, both of you. In this shop. You will be my servants and apprentices,” he says airily. Jonghyun blinks. That was not what he was expecting.

 

“What if we decide we don’t want to?” He says testily.

 

“That will not happen because your coming here is hitsuzen. You and your friend are now bound to me and this world by fate. You cannot run from the inevitable. You may try, but both of you will return to this shop in the end, no matter what.”

 

And… Jonghyun finds that he cannot argue with that, because he has realised that this is something bigger than him, bigger than the both of them and he has no clue what ‘this’ even is.

 

“And what happens to our lives outside of this place?”

 

“It won’t be affected. Just think of this as a part time job. You can still go home, go to school, live your lives normally. But you both will come in the evening and carry out whatever tasks await you,” the boy responds simply. He kneels beside Jonghyun and begins to make tea.

 

“And how long do we have to work here?”

 

“As long as it takes to pay off your debt,” he says vaguely. Jonghyun doesn’t press for an answer he knows he will never get.

 

He turns his gaze around the room. It is simple and empty, save for the velvet lounge upon the black dais. Tatami mats cover the floor. Shoji panels make up all four walls of the room. He is wearing a simple, plain yukata. His school uniform is folded neatly and placed by the futon beside him

 

“Who are you?” his voice comes out barely a whisper and he hates how weak he sounds.

 

“Revealing your real name to a stranger is giving them power to capture your soul. But if you insist on one, call me Ren.”

 

“How did you know ours?”

 

“There are name tags on your school uniforms, are there not?” Ren responds as if it were the most obvious thing in the world as he pours the tea into two cups. Jonghyun frowns.

 

“No, before that. During the storm, you called me by my full name.”

 

The long-haired boy smiles softly and it leaves butterflies fluttering around in Jonghyun’s stomach.

 

“You’ll find out soon enough. Here,” he hands him a cup.

 

It is black lacquer with a single red stripe going around it. Ren himself lifts a similar one. He gently takes Jonghyun’s hand and entwines their arms around each other, like they do at weddings, bringing their bodies closer together. Their faces are mere inches away and Jonghyun finds himself staring into deep, gray eyes surrounded by pale, almost white skin.

 

“With this, the deal is settled. Now drink, Kim Jonghyun,” Ren whispers. And together, they tilt their cups against their lips. The tea is sweet, probably Jasmine, he thinks to himself.

 

Suddenly, he can feel something winding around his skin. He opens his eyes, cup still against his lips, and sees red ribbons and strange writing appearing across his skin. Light begins to shine at the edges of each letter, each engravement. He drops his cup with a surprised yelp. Everything is suddenly shining too brightly. Just when the light becomes too overwhelming, he catches a glance of Ren staring at him expressionlessly. The boy closes his eyes and Jonghyun’s world goes white.

 

 

 

And he’s back at the Shibuya crossing once again. It is night and the neon lights greet him harshly. He is in his school uniform. He looks down at his hands. There are no signs of whatever marks were there a few seconds before.

 

A hand finds his and entangles its fingers with his. He looks to his right and finds Minhyun smiling at him reassuringly. He nods back, understanding.

 

At least they’re both alive. That’s all that matters right now.

 

But Jonghyun can’t help the uncertainty that bubbles in his stomach as his friend tugs him along. They walk into the crowd, into the night, into the great city of Tokyo that holds its secrets closely guarded, only to be revealed to the ones it chooses.

 

And apparently, Jonghyun thinks to himself bitterly, him and Minhyun are the chosen ones this time around.

 

 

_\- there isn't anything in this world that belongs to only yourself -_

 


	2. 開闢 (Beginnings)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They'd been sucked into this... this whatever it was with spirits and demons and cleaning garden sheds. Jonghyun feels his head spin thinking about the lotus pond and the boy in the elaborate kimono.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long but here it is

 

_-No matter how short the time-_

 

 

The sound of tires screeching begins from a far distance in the darkness behind him, coming closer until it is right behind him, deafeningly loud. He opens his eyes. He is standing on a veranda overlooking an aqua-blue lake covered with huge, blooming lotus flowers as far as the eye can see. Then, the scene shifts and he is standing outside the Shibuya train station. People walk past him, ignoring him and suddenly, a small boy walks straight through him. The air is sucked out of his lungs. He can taste Jasmine tea on his tongue. He can smell purple smoke. The ground opens up beneath him and he falls through, unable to scream.

 

But then, a red ribbon catches him and he finds himself hanging over an infinite void off a piece of fabric. More ribbons and strings begin to fall from above and wrap themselves around his body, hoisting him up, saving him. He can see towering gray buildings and bright blue skies through a single window that had appeared above him.

 

Ren’s voice comes from a distance and rings in his ears.

 

_You cannot run from the inevitable._

 

And there is the terrifying snip-snip of scissors and Jonghyun is free-falling once again and this time, there is nothing to catch him.

 

 

 

He wakes with a start, sitting up on his bed, gasping for air. His alarm clock is going ballistic beside him. The time is ten o’clock in the morning. It’s a Friday. Jonghyun groans, holding his head in his arms. His phone buzzes on the bedside table and he stretches an arm out, feeling around for it.

 

“Hello?” He croaks. There is a familiar chuckle at the other end of the line.

 

“Yo, Jonghyun. Just got up?” Asks Minhyun, sounding a bit too cheerful. He just grunts in the affirmative.

 

“How you feeling?”

 

“Isn’t that my line?” He rasps, slowly laying back down onto his soft, comfortable mattress. His friend laughs airily.

 

“I’m fine. Anyway, listen-”

 

“Minhyun, I’m serious,“ Jonghyun says softly, trying to keep his voice from cracking as he remembers the way Minhyun went limp in his hold, the smell of iron and the cold, cold rain.

 

Minhyun sighs.

 

“I feel good as new, seriously. I don’t know what they did but whatever it was, it sure worked. It’s like none of that ever happened. Stop worrying so much,“ he says evenly. Jonghyun hums, still unsatisfied, but decides not to push it.

 

“Did you drink that stuff too? And did what happened to me happen to you as well?”

 

There is a pause.

 

“If strange patterns and words being engraved into your skin is what happened, then, yeah, it did,” Minhyun responds. Jonghyun nods even if he knows the other boy can’t see him. They both go quiet for a while. The sun continues to shine brightly outside, the summer heat begins to settle in for the day.

 

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Hwang Minhyun, you know that right?” The boy answers with a thoughtful hum. Jonghyun sighs.

 

“Let’s go out for lunch. We can talk then.”

 

 

  
It was in middle school, Minhyun tells him later, when he’d first heard of a shop that grants wishes. He doesn’t remember where or when exactly he did, but he knows he had been eavesdropping. The conversation was a very detailed one but Minhyun could basically summarize it as: exact directions and a wish for a price.

 

And he’d spent the past three years searching every part of Tokyo City for that one shop, which was probably why, Jonghyun thought, he could so easily navigate his way through the backstreets and dilapidated buildings that day.

 

“But how come you saw it and I didn’t?” asks Jonghyun, knitting his eyebrows together. Minhyun gives a half-hearted shrug.

 

“’Guess you should ask the wish-granter yourself,” he says simply and points his chin ahead of them.

 

The shop stood right ahead, down the street they were walking. The two of them were too out of it to even be surprised they’d ended up there even though they were pretty sure they’d just stepped foot out of the barbecue restaurant a few minutes ago. There’s no point in turning back so without another word exchanged, they continue walking.

 

Ren is sitting on the veranda when they arrive, smoking his kiseru and blowing the strange purple smoke out to create snake-like patterns in the air. He ignores them as they walk into the compound without greeting.

 

“You want to know why he saw this place first?” He asks nonchalantly. Jonghyun hesitates before nodding.

 

“It is something about himself that he has yet to discover,” Ren turns to them with a wry smile. Jonghyun blinks, a frown setting upon his face and turns to Minhyun who looks twice as confused as he is.

 

“What are you talking about-” Jonghyun starts.

 

“That is something I am unable to answer. How about asking Hwang Minhyun when he realises what it is?” He smirks and rises from his spot. Jonghyun gapes at his friend who refuses to look him in the eye.

 

Ren stands at the center of the courtyard, eyes closed, lips moving inaudibly. The two boys turn to watch as the wind begins to howl and the sky above them starts to melt. The clouds form a teardrop that looks like it is about to burst. Jonghyun and Minhyun watch in awe. Their skin tingles with unfamiliar energy, hearts pounding wildly.

 

“Welcome home,” Ren says softly with a small smile.

 

With that, the sky bursts open, revealing two male figures wearing traditional garb. One is in a deep blue haori and another is in an olive green yukata. The one in blue holds an old leather messenger bag. The wind has died down, the sun begins to shine brightly again, the strange tingle on the two boys’ skin is gone.

 

“That took longer than it should have, honestly,” says the one in blue. The guy’s pretty muscular, with a defined face and a side swept quiff. His stature makes him look intimidating but the upturned crescent moons that are his eyes seem to say otherwise.

 

“I’ve noticed. You’re a day late,” Ren replies flatly, all traces of whatever smile, gone.

 

“Baekho here insisted we stop by the fox’s stall for a meal,” says the one in green offhandedly. He’s got big doey eyes, slightly thick eyebrows and an easy smile. The witch rolls his eyes at the two men, shaking his head before turning to leave, leaving the two gaping high school boys. He pauses mid-step and speaks without looking back.

 

“Baekho, Aron.” The two perk up with surprising obedience.

 

“Introduce yourselves to our new... recruits,” he says and vanishes in one fluid motion behind the shoji panels.

 

 

  
They find themselves stood in front of a big wooden shed with Baekho and Aron behind them, smirking. In their hands are a broom for Jonghyun and a feather duster for Minhyun. By their feet are various other cleaning equipment including a bucket of water with some detergent and sponges, a vacuum cleaner and a packet of black trash bags. The two students stand dumbfounded until Aron pushes them both forward with a nudge to their backs.

 

“Go on,” he says, his mischievous smile widening.

 

“Don’t worry, we both did this on our first day too. Think of it as an initiation of sorts,” says Baekho, eyebrows dancing in amusement.

 

About an hour before, they had been left alone with the two other males who brought them on a tour around the shop. The old wooden house seemed bigger on the inside with its long winding hallways and various guestrooms. It was also bizarrely empty. No paintings on the wall, no ‘Employee of the Year’ plaques, no normal house or shop items that should’ve been around.

 

Instead, there were shelves and shelves of various kimono stashed in the built-in closets of each room, explained Baekho.

 

“Ren sells them to pay the rent but honestly, I’m pretty sure he just keeps them for himself. Spoilt brat,” he mutters the last statement under his breath, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

 

“What kind of jobs will we be doing here?” Minhyun asks as they walk through a particularly long, open corridor surrounded by the traditional Japanese garden. A smile tugs at Aron’s lips.

 

“You’ll see soon enough.”

 

And here they were, an hour later, in full gear, equipment at hand, staring into the gaping mouth of the dark, dark wooden garden shed.

 

“You can stop whenever you want but you’re definitely not going to be able to get it done in a day,” Baekho says, voice tinted with mischief.

 

“Here’s our advice for you: take less breaks and work more hours so that this job won’t drag on and we can start with the real deal soon, alright?” Aron says. The two boys nod determinedly even though neither had a clue what the elder was talking about. He pats them on the back and sends them off with a light warning.

 

“Baek and I have been on a long job so we’re gonna go get some rest. By the way, don’t touch anything on the shelves. Just clean around them. Unless you want to get cursed and die a painful death.”

 

 

  
It’s bright inside.

  
  
When they first step in, pulling masks up to their noses, they’d expected nothing but darkness. Jonghyun had been prepared to risk his life to grope around for a light switch. But now, he felt so relieved to be able to avoid that fate (or at least lower the chance) that it didn’t even cross his mind that there didn’t have to be a switch to turn the light on.

 

It was humid but the air was stale and cold. There were about five rows of ceiling-to-floor shelves standing in the middle, with the walls on either side also lined with levels of wood housing strange ornaments. Jonghyun couldn’t see the end, which should have worried him but he put it out of his mind. They would deal with the end when they reached it.

 

With one nod to his best friend, they began to sweep.

 

 

  
“You guys have been making quite the progress,” Aron says as he sets down the second tray of watermelons.

 

The four men are seated on the veranda for lunch. Minhyun splays himself across the floor, a wet towel on his face. Jonghyun leans against a wooden pillar, sweat trickling down his neck as he stares out at the street across them. People walk by, none of them sparing a glance at them.

 

“Can they really not see us or are they all used to it?” he asks. Baekho tries to answer with a mouth full of the red-fleshed fruit.

 

“It dependv on ve perfon. Moft peovle really don’t vee vis plafe, but Aron and I have fenfed a few who can but just choof to ignore it.” Spittles of fruit land on Minhyun, who doesn’t notice, too tired and too busy trying to eat while lying down.

 

It had been about two weeks according to Jonghyun and Minhyun’s normal time (4 days according to the shop’s) since they’d started their first job: The Cleanup. The shed seemed to get brighter everyday but they still couldn’t see the end of all the rows of shelves. Aron tells them it won’t be long until they do. The two guys talk about reaching the back of the shed as if there would be something waiting for them. Jonghyun doesn’t want to think about it.

 

Instead, his thoughts drift to the witch.

 

They barely see Ren. He’s dropped by for a lunch or two but conversation had always been stunted and awkward, so most of the time they’d all just sit quietly and eat. Sometimes, he comes out and smokes his kiseru but doesn’t pay them any attention. Other than those brief, fleeting moments, Jonghyun never sees him. They hadn’t spoken since the day they were introduced to Baekho and Aron.

 

“What are your jobs anyway? You guys don’t seem to be doing much and there never seem to be any customers,” Minhyun says, lips moving under the wet towel. Aron chuckles.

 

“You’d piss your pants if we tell you the things we see,” he says. With that, the tall boy lifts the fabric from off his face and raises an eyebrow at the older man.

 

“What do you mean?” Aron sighs.

 

“We aren’t the only ones in this world, you know? There are… others who inhabit this place we call our own. And sometimes they cause trouble. When that happens,” he sticks his chin out towards his friend. “Baekho and I are there to deal with them.”

 

“We also deliver stuff!” The other guy chirps. Minhyun looks at them with a bored expression.

 

“So you're ghost busters doubling as delivery guys?”

 

The elder laughs and it’s a full, whole sound.

 

“You could put it that way. If you stick around long enough, I figure we’ll be working together.”

 

 

  
There is only exactly one week of summer left when they finally begin to see some empty wooden shelves.

 

They’re scrubbing the floor when Minhyun accidentally knocks over a bucket but nothing spills out.

 

“Ah, we’re out of water. I’ll go get some,” he says. Jonghyun waves him off, too focused on cleaning, the thought of finishing this job motivating him. He hears Minhyun’s footsteps getting softer and softer behind him. Soon, it’s just the sound of his sponge against the wood.

 

It’s only later when he realises he’s been alone for a bit too long. Suddenly, a cold breeze washes over him.

 

He would have dismissed it if it weren’t coming from the darkness in front of him instead of from the entrance of the shed, far behind him.

 

 _ **Jonghyun,**_ comes a voice. But it’s more like when the audio’s distorted on a television. Or when his computer hangs and starts making noise.

 

“Who’s there?” He’s on his feet now. There is no response, just static. Then, a coin rolls out from the darkness. It stops right at the tip of his shoes and that’s when the world is pulled out from under his feet.

 

There’s that purple scent again. Except there’s something unfamiliar about it, unlike the smoke that Ren exhales. This is something poisonous, seeping through his lungs, suffocating and cold, too cold. The static is back and threatens to deafen him.

 

_**You’ve trespassed our realm, now you will become one of us.** _

 

He feels the shadows begin to wrap around his ankles, pulling him down into the ground. He wants to scream, he wants to call for help but he doesn’t have enough strength to open his mouth. The soil is up to his neck in a matter of seconds. He hears the static voices laughing at him.

 

And his vision goes black.

 

 

  
He’s standing by the lake filled with lotuses.

 

He’s in a dream, he supposes. Either that or he’s dead.

 

A shadow stands beside him, murmuring, saying something but all that comes out is distorted noise. He watches as it points at something. He turns his sight back to the flowers. Slowly, they begin wilting right in front of him. The water beneath begins to bleed red.

 

A hand creeps up onto his neck and forces him to look down.

 

He sees Minhyun floating lifelessly towards him, eyes closed, blood staining his clothes.

 

He’s about to jump in when an arm flies out in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. His surroundings turn back to nothing but black. The arm spread out in front of him is faintly glowing. At the corner of his eye, he sees that the arm is attached to a glowing body. Slowly, he turns to look at the person beside him.

 

Ren steps forward, positioning himself between Jonghyun and the static ahead of them. His lips are set in a thin, determined line. His eyes are blazing, dark hair billowing behind him. He holds a golden staff in one hand. Its head is carved into a sun with eight tendrils and a crescent moon in the middle. At the very center is a small, pink gem glowing steadily like fire in a lamp.

 

 ** _It’s been a while, witch,_** says the static. **_What sacrifice have you brought me this time?_**

 

 _He isn’t a sacrifice,_ Ren replies, poker-faced.

 

**_Oh? An apprentice I take it, then._ **

 

_Of sorts._

 

**_He isn’t like the others, I’m sure you’re well aware. A special one you’ve got here. I can sense his time coming._ **

 

Jonghyun didn’t understand a word of their conversation but he saw the way the boy’s body tensed up a thousandfold, the fire in his eyes beginning to freeze over, the grip around his staff tightening.

 

 _Enough, demon,_ he hissed. Suddenly, a pink string of light began to draw a pattern around them. A lotus with twin crescents above it appeared at their feet. The string of light soon morphed into ancient characters and began to circle them, getting faster with each rotation.

 

A deep rumble echoed through the darkness, like a laugh.

 

**_We’ll be seeing each other very soon, Kim Jonghyun. Mark my words._ **

 

The emblem below them burned brightly until all there was, was white light.

 

 

  
And then they were stood in front of the shed.

 

As soon as the light beneath them faded, Ren collapses to the ground. Jonghyun caught him in time and held him fast. The boy’s body was cold and his skin was deathly pale under the scorching sun, almost transparent, his breathing laboured.

 

Baekho, Aron and Minhyun rushed over. The two men lifted Ren off of Jonghyun and the bigger guy carried the fragile boy in his arms, immediately heading towards the shop. Aron threw them a grateful nod as he followed behind his friend.

 

Minhyun gave his best friend a bone-crushing hug.

 

“What the hell happened?!” He asked into the embrace. The sight of Minhyun in the water flashed across his mind. He tightened his arms around his friend.

 

“What did we get ourselves into, Min?”

 

  
_-the ties that bind will not disappear-_


	3. 発現 (Discovery)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonghyun meets the moon, a boy in green and travels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello warning: cliffhangers and crossovers and a special appearance and basically a really long chapter

 

_\- during your lifetime -_

 

Jonghyun dreams again the night after.

 

He’s sitting on the veranda; the moon is blue and bright. A cool summer breeze washes over him, cherry blossom petals fly around before settling to the ground silently. Suddenly, he feels a presence of someone, something beside him and turns to face it.

 

Minhyun sits next to him but it isn’t him. It isn’t him in the way there is a bigger distance between them than there usually is, it isn’t him in the way he sits up incredibly straight and stares at the sky longingly. If the silver-blue eyes, white hair and white robes aren’t a giveaway at first sight, it’s not him in the way he doesn’t smile at all when he turns to Jonghyun.

 

But Jonghyun’s not scared because his eyes are soft, like the Minhyun’s he knows. And so, he asks the dumbest question he can think of.

 

“Minhyun?”

 

The man does not react, expression impassive. He takes a while to answer.

 

“Yes and no.”

 

There is a pause as Jonghyun actually considers this vague reply.

 

“Then, who are you?”

 

“I don’t think we’ve ever met before, but I’ve known you for a long time, Kim Jonghyun.” The boy doesn’t know how to answer, but he doesn’t get a chance to anyway.

 

“I am meeting you here tonight to impart a single piece of advice; learn. You will need all the knowledge you can get to face what comes next.”

 

“What comes next?”

 

“When the fruits of time are ripe, the witch will tell you. I am not allowed to speak any further now. The pieces will soon fall into place and it will be up to you. Heed my advice and you will be successful, ignore it and I cannot guarantee you a smooth path in this life.” He pauses briefly and stands to face the moon.

 

“Who are you?” Jonghyun finally finds his voice. The man turns to him, a soft, sad smile gracing his lips.

 

“Look to the night sky and you will know my name. That is all for tonight. Now sleep, Kim Jonghyun. You have a long way ahead of you.”

 

 

 

The next time they return to the shop is halfway through the first day of school. They decide to jump class and climb out the back fence, sprint down the road with only the shop in mind until they see familiar grey buildings ahead of them.

 

“Beat you again, Hwang-gallyang,“ Jonghyun manages to say through gasps of air as they slow down towards the wooden building. Minhyun clutches his stomach, groaning.

 

“Shut up. I still have more wins out of the both of us.“

 

Ren stands at the doorway, dressed more grandly than he usually is. He’s in fitting white silk pants embroidered with black butterflies and a flowing silk black v-neck top with white butterflies. His sleeves fall just above his knees where red ribbons hang at the edge of each hand. His coal black hair is tied in a high ponytail with red ornaments of the winged creature decorating his head. He doesn’t seem to be in the best of moods; stormy grey eyes ready to pierce through the two apprentices’ souls.

 

“We have a customer,” he says flatly without any greeting whatsoever.

 

Baekho and Aron are nowhere to be found. _They must be on a job,_ Jonghyun thinks. He turns to Minhyun and they share a look of uncertainty.

 

“What are you two waiting for? Didn’t they teach you anything?” Ren’s voice cuts through the air. The two high schoolers shake their heads hesitantly. The witch rolls his eyes and mutters ‘Idiots’ under his breath.

 

“Minhyun, prepare the tea. Jonghyun, greet our guest at the front door,” he orders sternly before disappearing into the building. Minhyun throws Jonghyun a shrug and hurries off to the kitchen. _Just do what he says._

 

 

 

A few minutes later as Jonghyun waits outside by the entrance, the air begins to still. In the middle of the stone pathway leading up to the front door, a glowing shape begins to appear. It takes the form of a golden 8-sided star with the cardinal points on the edge. The Yin Yang symbol glows brightly in the center.

 

A figure emerges from the light to reveal a young boy. He has curly reddish brown hair, fair skin, natural red lips and long eyelashes. He wears what appears to be a traditional Chinese-style garment and white silk pants. It is the colour of jade and has with sleeves that trail along the floor, each of them with a yellow rim and a small bell attached to the end. The garment has three slits that look like tails, all of them attached with similar golden bells. Yin Yang symbols are emblazoned on his chest and back.

 

He looks familiar, like Jonghyun’s seen him somewhere…. then it clicks.

 

_The boy on the train with the striped sweater and beret._

 

“I’m here for the Dimensional Witch,” he says, snapping Jonghyun out of his thoughts. His voice is surprisingly deep for someone who looks so young.

 

“Ren is waiting for you inside. I’ll take you to him.” The words come naturally out of his mouth, no trace of hesitation and it’s weird because Jonghyun’s not normally good at talking formally, much less with a stranger. But he feels more confident with every step they take towards the wooden building.

 

He leads the boy down the long winding corridors until finally, they reach the room by the pond. It’s empty except for an antique, exquisitely carved wooden table. He meets eyes with Minhyun, who stands on the opposite corner of the room, holding a tray of tea. He looks just as lost as Jonghyun feels.

 

Ren sits alone at the table sipping his Chrysanthemum tea, a chair pushed out opposite him for the customer. But the boy makes no move to sit. His expression is suddenly fierce, brown eyes sparking with annoyance.

 

“I’ve come for the Rashinban,” he announces. The witch watches him, the storm brewing in his eyes beginning to awaken.

 

“Right to the point, are we now?”

 

“Where is it?” The boy in green asks impatiently.

 

“Pay and you shall receive.”

 

“What’s the price?” Ren hums contemplatively before rising from his seat and walking towards him, air crackling with powerful energy. The kid takes a step back but the fire in his eyes seems to burn brighter.

 

“May I see what’s in your pocket?” The witch asks although he sounds like he already knows. The boy hesitates for a moment before reluctantly pulling out the object.

 

A pair of circular-rimmed golden glasses emerge from the jade garment. Jonghyun recognizes it as the ones they saw him wearing on the train. Ren studies it briefly, before he nods in satisfaction.

 

“This will suffice.”

 

The boy looks like he’s about to protest but keeps quiet and lets the witch take his payment.

 

“Now, where’s the Rashinban?” He asks testily. There’s a glint of the storm in Ren’s eyes once again but it fades away in an instant.

 

“It will appear for you when you most need it,” he answers simply. The boy doesn’t seem quite satisfied with the response but -to Jonghyun’s surprise- doesn’t even attempt to question it, instead nodding firmly.

 

“It better.” He eyes Minhyun at the corner of the room and something akin to recognition kindles in his eyes, eyebrows furrowing in very minute confusion for a brief moment before a small smirk spreads across his lips.

 

“You’re not coming, Yue?” He says, directing the question to the tall boy.

 

Suddenly, Minhyun drops the tray of glasses, shattering them to a million pieces. A flurry of white feathers appear out of thin air and begin to spiral around him. Jonghyun wants to run forward and save him but Ren’s gaze finds his and he stays rooted to his spot.

 

When the feathers fade to reveal Minhyun, his hair is snow white. His bangs are shorter, and reveal silver-blue eyes instead of warm brown. He wears white silken robes set with dark blue armor, a jeweled earring on his left ear, a long side cape that hangs on his right shoulder and large angelic wings.

 

Jonghyun’s breath catches in his throat as the man starts to speak.

 

“Impatient as ever Syao-”

 

“Don’t. Use that name. It’s Jihoon. I’m not whoever you used to know.”

 

Minhyun- not Minhyun- stares down at the boy coldly.

 

“No, you’re not. The boy I knew wouldn’t be so caught up in himself.”

 

“You’re one to speak, hiding for so long behind your vessel-” Jihoon’s hands are curled into fists, knuckles going white. He takes a step forward, mouth open to say something before Ren cuts him off.

 

“Why don’t we continue this little spat some other time? I’m sure you have more… pressing matters to attend to, Park Jihoon,” he says pointedly to the young boy, a flare of powerful energy sending off a dangerous warning. Jihoon reluctantly backs down with a growl.

 

“This isn’t over, Yue. You know she’s going to find out soon.” He says accusingly.

 

“I’ll be by her side when it happens. Now go on your way, boy.”

 

The golden star appears at Jihoon’s feet once again and the room is engulfed in blinding yellow light. When it dies down, the boy is nowhere to be seen. Yue turns to Ren, a suspicious glint in his eyes.

 

”You knew didn’t you, witch?”

 

“Of course I did. I’m not called the dimensional witch for no reason. You, of all people would know, wouldn’t you?”

 

Yue sighs in defeat. Jonghyun has a weird feeling that he’s watching a petty argument between two old friends. But these two don’t seem like what people would normally call friends.

 

“Your predecessor was much better company,” the silver-haired man says offhandedly. This seems to rile the witch, who turns on him with a raised eyebrow over a challenging eye.

 

“Yes? Well, why don’t you try for a wish and see if you could bring her back?” He says testily.

 

“I hope your descendant will be much more pleasant when it’s their turn,” Yue mutters. Ren scoffs, lowering himself into his seat and taking a gulp of tea.

 

“Well lucky for you, you won’t have to wait very long to find out. Now get out of my sight.”

  
  
Yue chuckles bitterly. Then, he turns to Jonghyun and his eyes soften just a fraction.

 

“I look forward to working with you, Kim Jonghyun.”

 

Then he closes his eyes and with a flash of white light, Minhyun- the real Minhyun- is standing, blinking confusedly. He looks down at the mess around him and his eyes widen.

 

“Oh my god, did I do this? I apologize-” he says, frantically starting towards the kitchen to look for a broom. Ren’s voice rings through out the room.

 

“Hwang Minhyun, rest,” he says and the boy’s eyes are immediately fluttering shut, his legs giving way. Jonghyun rushes towards him and manages to catch his best friend before he collapses to the floor. His breathing evens out and he’s fallen asleep right then and there.

 

Ren turns away from the two of them. Jonghyun almost wants to call out to him but is beaten before he can even open his mouth.

 

“Clean the mess up.”

 

 

 

Jonghyun decided there was no choice but to stay the night. He called home, saying they were sleeping over at another friend’s house. A hot bath is running for him and when he steps out, a simple purple yukata is folded neatly on the futon. A while later, he’s lying in the dark and finds that he cannot sleep.

 

He decides to take a walk.

 

The house is eerily quiet at night but somehow, Jonghyun doesn’t feel scared. It’s a calm he doesn’t get to experience much at home. The city can be draining in a lot of ways and sometimes, the sound of construction and cars can get too much for someone walking around off only 4 hours of sleep.

 

He loses track of time and place and somehow ends up at the veranda. The full moon is out. He leans against one of the shoji panels and watches the sky for a while. Then, he hears wood creaking behind him. He whips his head around.

 

And he’s staring straight into gray eyes, paled by the light of the moon. Ren doesn’t even flinch, just walks past him and takes a seat on the floor, midnight blue kimono spreading out. He lights his kiseru and allows the smoke to pour out from his mouth, purple smoke weaving through the air. A few moments pass in silence before the witch sighs.

 

“What are you doing standing there, Kim Jonghyun? Sit,” Ren says, annoyance tinging his voice. The boy does as he is told and lowers himself down beside the raven-haired boy, keeping a careful distance between them.

 

“Thank you for letting us stay the night,” Jonghyun starts. The witch exhales more smoke, eyes never leaving the sky.

 

“You don’t even have to ask,” he nonchalantly. The silence begins to creep in but Jonghyun decides to carry on, giving in to his burning desire to _know._

 

“I met him- Yue in a dream,” he starts. Ren isn’t facing him but he knows he’s listening.

 

“He said that I have to learn. That… there will come a time where I have to make an important choice. But I don’t understand. What do I have to learn? How could anyone trust me with such an important duty?”

 

The other boy is silent, contemplating. Jonghyun waits. Then, Ren sets his pipe down and stands up, going back in the house without a word. He’s definitely done something very wrong this time. _But what-_

 

The witch reappears a second later, holding a glowing lantern. He walks down to the courtyard and stops by the big cherry blossom tree. A gaping hole opens up on the trunk, swallowing pink petals as the wind howls.

 

“Come with me, Kim Jonghyun. Let’s take a walk.”

 

 

 

“Hold on to my hand firmly. Never let go.” Ren tells him as they enter, holding out the lantern between them.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“You’ll know when we get there.”

 

The journey is quiet, nothing but the wind whistling in Jonghyun’s ears. The tunnel is short and soon, they’re standing on an open dirt road lined with tall pine trees.

 

Jonghyun hears them before he sees them.

 

The steady beat of drums and chiming bells hit him with full force along with a choir of ancient charms. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees thousands of twinkling lights heading towards them. He doesn’t have time to properly process everything before Ren is tugging him towards the parade.

 

As they try to find a spot to intercede, Jonghyun sees flashes of things. He has a hard time wrapping his head around exactly what he sees but he knows they’re a messed up jumble of legs, sharp teeth, assorted primary colours and eyes.

 

They follow from behind, where the crowd has thinned out. The drums are far in front, nothing but background noise from the distance they were at.

 

“Do you know where we are?” Ren asks. _No, I absolutely do not know where the hell we are,_ Jonghyun wants to say, wants to run away but something at the back of his mind tells him that he does, in fact, know exactly where they are.

 

“Hyakki yagyo. Like the painting on the scroll,” he says, unable to believe himself. He doesn’t miss the small smile that plays on Ren’s lips and the way his own stomach flips at the rare sight.

 

“Good. The reason we are here is because of the ground cherry. Only those who hold it are allowed to take part in the Procession of a Hundred Ghouls. It only happens once a year, where the ghouls are all marching towards a single destination.”

 

The witch’s voice is calm and even, the light in his eyes brighter than the usual rain that is reflected in them.

 

“Where are we headed to?”

 

A real, genuine smile begins to spread across his face. The glow of the moon is nothing compared to this, Jonghyun concludes.

 

“Just a little more.”

 

 

 

They walk for a long time before Ren finally begins to speak again.

 

“Our worlds are interconnected. We exist in the same time and the same place, but in different dimensions. We are expected to co-exist, but not to meet and live the same lives as the other. There are boundaries that set our worlds apart but Fate overrides those boundaries. The Red String cannot be cut, even if it travels through time and space. Whatever it is bound to will remain bound together for all eternity. The two ends will meet at some point, there is no doubt about that. But what happens until then is all up to the beings it is tied to,” Ren’s hand is warm, unlike what Jonghyun would have expected, he unknowingly tightens his grip. If the witch had noticed, he chose not to acknowledge it.

 

“Your Red String is bound to this world, Kim Jonghyun. It brought you and Hwang Minhyun to the shop. The events that had followed were due to your own actions. Even if the two of you had not come looking for my shop that evening, you would’ve been pulled into this world through another gateway. I cannot tell you any more than I already have; it would throw time out of balance. But all I can say is that you have to learn to acknowledge both sides of your fate. You can’t run away from one to the other.”

 

Jonghyun had many questions. But now, he doesn’t think he wants to know the answer to any of them.

 

“You should tread carefully, Jonghyun,” Ren adds finally, voice uncharacteristically soft. “There are things out there waiting for you to fall into the abyss.”

 

Jonghyun turns over the witch’s words in his head.

 

“Is this why you took me in to your shop?” Jonghyun asks after a long pause.

 

“You were given the ability to travel between both realms for a reason, Kim Jonghyun. There are no coincidences in this world; it couldn’t have been anyone but you.”

 

“And what about Minhyun?”

 

The witch stiffens.

 

“Hwang Minhyun was brought to me by a third party. That is his destiny. However, what has happened and continues to happen to him is not of my concern; I will merely watch. Our paths will not cross more than it already has.”

 

Something inside Jonghyun tells him that this is the end of the conversation. So he keeps his mouth shut and continues onwards, head spinning with the words from the dimensional witch, as the glow in the sky ahead of them gets closer and burns brighter.

 

 

 

They walk for what seems like another eternity before they reach the top of a high hill. What is on the other side is what takes Jonghyun’s breath away.

 

A gargantuan glowing white tree towers over the barren land below them. The top is unseen, high in the clouds. Along its bare branches are thousands of orange flowers, blooming and unblooming, as if they were breathing.

 

The journey down takes a relatively shorter time and all the while, Jonghyun’s eyes are transfixed on the tree. It’s the size of Tokyo City, a thousand times brighter. But there is no heat coming from all the lights, just a gentle breeze that caresses his skin and slightly ruffles his hair.

 

The procession comes to a stop at the base of the tree. Ren and Jonghyun are now caught in the bustling crowd. The music has stopped and there is only the buzzing murmurs of the thousands of creatures around them. None of them seem to be paying attention to him and the witch. Then, a low hum begins to reverberate throughout the area and the crowd falls silent.

 

The ground vibrates with energy. Jonghyun senses nothing bad but it’s a little overwhelming.

 

“She knows you’re here, “ Ren says calmly. The high school student looks at him, puzzled. Before the long-haired boy can explain any further, a motherly voice echoes through the air. Everybody is now staring at the tree.

 

 _ **Step forward, child of man,**_ the voice says. It takes a while for Jonghyun to process it, but he finally realises that no one else can hear the voice except for him and Ren- who looks at him passively, waiting.

 

_**Do not be afraid, child.** _

 

He takes a step forward and is about to let his fingers slip off from Ren’s hold, but freezes as he remembers the other boy’s warning. _Never let go._

 

 ** _Don’t worry. You’ll be safe,_** comes the woman’s voice. He looks between the tree and the witch, breathes in and lets go.

 

Immediately, the creatures around him begin to gasp in shock and cry out in fear and anger.

 

**A human!**

 

**What’s it doing here?**

 

**It’s come to kill us!**

 

…

 

_**Closer, child.** _

 

Jonghyun keeps walking, as if in a trance, until he is merely a few feet apart from the white bark. The ground cherry begins to glow brighter.

 

_**It has been a while since I’ve met one of your kind. It is rare to meet such a pure and whole being. I am glad the Dimensional Witch has led you here, so we could all finally meet you.** _

 

“Finally?-“

 

_**I sense your powers have not fully awoken yet. But there is no need to rush, young one. You will soon realize your strength and how important a role it will become in deciding your fate. For now, I would like to gift you with the first flower of nectar, as a token of appreciation to your master and as a small help towards your growth in this world. Hold the cherry up, my boy.** _

 

Jonghyun does as he is told, lifting the ground cherry above his head. One of the glowing flowers climb down on its tendrils. It attaches itself to the lantern and begins to pour out bright, golden-orange liquid. It smells like honey and fruits and leaves him a little lightheaded.

 

The murmurs behind him have long since faded as the crowd watches the ordeal in respectful silence.

 

_**That is all for now, Kim Jonghyun. It has been a pleasure to speak with you.** _

 

“The pleasure is all mine,“ he immediately inclines his head. He can hear the tree smiling down at him in his head.

 

_**A little word of wisdom I wish to impart on you before we go our separate ways; cherish the bonds you have with the ones you care about the most, especially those who have helped you change. Hold this transformation dear, young boy. You have very little time, use it wisely. Drink well and with this, I bid you farewell.** _

 

There is no time for him to react before he is suddenly standing back at the tunnel with the howling wind. Ren is nowhere to be seen. He stares into the darkness, a single dot of light at the end to guide him. He holds the ground cherry in front of himself and lets it light his path back.

 

 

  
He’s sitting alone on the veranda, two cups ready with the ground cherry sitting between them. Ren appears a moment later and begins to pour himself a cup and one for Jonghyun.

 

“You left me alone down there,“ Jonghyun says, but he’s not bitter- just empty.

 

“I was confident you would be able to find your way back. And that confidence was not misplaced, seeing as how you’re here holding a glass of nectar. “

 

There is a beat of silence.

 

“What did it mean when it said I didn’t have much time left?” Jonghyun asks softly, more to himself than anyone else.

 

“Drink, Jonghyun,“ Ren says soothingly but firm.

 

The boy stares at the glowing yellow liquid for a moment before tipping the glass against his lips. A warm, sweet liquid flows down his throat and throughout his body, calming every last nerve and somehow clearing his head.

 

They don’t talk anymore after that. All Jonghyun remembers is looking up at the moon before the haze creeps into his mind.

 

Then he’s falling sideways.

 

A pair of arms embrace him, cloaking him with unexpected warmth.

 

His head rests against silk and he feels cold fingers grazing his skin.

 

The last thing he hears is a soft voice before he is plunged into a deep, dreamless slumber.

 

 

  
Ren watches the pink petals that float to the ground only to be swept up again by the wind. He absently cards his fingers through the boy’s dark hair, feeling the rise and fall of his chest and studying the curves of his jaw and cheekbones.

 

“You must be exhausted.

You don’t belong only to yourself, you know? There isn’t anything in this world that belongs to only yourself. Everyone has connections to someone else and shares something with them through it. That is why you can never be free. That is also why it is amusing, sad and dear.“

 

_\- every incident that passes has meaning -_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh look, jihoon makes another appearance (anyone remember his first, extremely brief one?) as... well i think i made it pretty clear who he was supposed to be. also to give you a better picture of the magic circles : http://tsubasa.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Circles because i love clamp's designs good god
> 
> also, the inspiration for this chapter comes directly from episode 18 in the anime. it's one of my favourites.


	4. 期待 (Promise)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a bizarre feeling to watch yourself in dreams, Jonghyun thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a slightly fast update i'm writing this in between exams lol here's a kind of lighthearted chapter

 

_\- No matter how small the problem is, how small the thing is -_

 

A lot of things in Jonghyun’s life didn’t really add up, he realises now that he’s sitting in the middle of a grassy field with nothing but the blue sky above, watching scenes of his childhood play out around him.

 

He watches himself at age six, staring at a wall and smiling and somehow, he remembers what he saw. It’s the field he’s laying down in right now. But it was just a concrete, beige wall.

 

There are sounds of chairs shifting and loud chatter, bouncing against invisible walls. Jonghyun sits up, folds his legs against his chest and hugs himself as he watches the first day he met Minhyun.

 

The taller kid was a shy, quiet and reserved little thing back then. He sees himself nudging the boy with a book and asking his name. Little Minhyun answers softly, unsure. Little Jonghyun in turn gives him a grin and says “Hwang, like the hanja for gold, right?” The other boy just nods, slightly surprised that someone his age had known something like that.

 

The scenes shifts and the two of them are at a playground after school. It’s getting quite late but neither of them make any move from the swings.

 

“We should hang out around here more often,” Minhyun says, kicking himself of the ground. Jonghyun shrugs.

 

“I don’t know about that. I don’t think this place likes us too much. It’s not our neighbourhood.”

 

Minhyun frowns at him as he swings by.

 

“What do you mean ‘this place’?”

 

“We should get going. It’s gonna be dark soon,” Jonghyun says suddenly, getting up and collecting his bag off the ground. Minhyun didn’t ask any further, instead shaking his head and following behind.

 

Then, he’s alone on a crowded street in Shibuya, heading to an arcade he’d heard of from a senior. Jonghyun had never liked the city too much. Maybe it had something to do with the noise and the traffic.

 

But, as he turned into a slightly more quiet street, the arcade looming just ahead, it’s probably because of the yellow-black-purple plasma-like figures that hung around everywhere. They watched Jonghyun for quite a while as he ignored them and made his way down the street.

 

There weren’t too many back home -just the occasional uneventful run-in with one or two- but here, in Tokyo, they seemed to be everywhere. Not that it bothered Jonghyun. They were just… there.

 

Jonghyun falls on his side into the soft grass as a breeze washes over him. He breathes in the scent of lavender and mint.

 

 _So this is where they come from,_ he thinks to himself. _This_ realm, where trees as big as cities stand over barren land, where ghouls parade around, where boys as beautiful as art exist.

 

He closes his eyes to the sound of wind against grass.

 

 

 

The morning sun is blinding. Minhyun sits by the window to Jonghyun’s left, drinking tea. He isn’t facing his friend, instead looking out into the garden. He doesn’t notice when the other boy awakes.

 

“Min. What are you doing here?” Jonghyun calls out, sitting up and wiping the sleep out of his eyes, squinting at the bright light.

 

“Oh, you’re awake.”

 

“I think we just missed three days of school.”

 

Minhyun shrugs, not bothered in the least.

 

“We’ll give them a call later. Let them know we’re all right.” There’s a pause as Minhyun takes another sip of his tea and sets the glass down before turning to face Jonghyun. He doesn’t know if it’s the light playing tricks on him, but Jonghyun swears he catches glimpses of silver hair and blue eyes as he stares at his friend.

 

“I… I’ve been talking to Yue,” Minhyun starts, biting his lip.

 

“He came to me in my dreams.” Jonghyun watches his friend intently, waiting for him to continue.

 

“I was sitting in the middle of this stark white place and I just heard his voice and- it was _my_ voice but there was something different-” Minhyun sets his cup down and turns his gaze back to the garden.

 

“When I was younger, before we met back in elementary, I used to think I was going crazy. I’d hear this voice -Yue’s voice- in my head and we’d talk a lot. I guess that’s why I was such a quiet kid, because of the conversations I had in my head instead of with the other kids. I’d always just assumed I was talking to myself… not someone else. Even _I_ thought I was weird.

 

Then I met you. And you’d always going around saying weirder stuff like ‘We shouldn’t be playing here’ or ‘We’re going to upset them’ and you’d never explain and I’ve always just listened and followed along. But now… you know, don’t you? The things you see?”

 

Jonghyun nods slowly.

  
  
“You belong here, Yue says. With Ren. He’s going to teach you a lot of stuff,” Minhyun says, eyes drifting around the plain room as he leans against the window. The birds chirp outside, the roars of the city are distant.

 

“What’s going to happen to you?” Jonghyun asks, already having an inkling as to where this is heading. His friend fixes him with sad eyes and a melancholic smile.

 

“I’ll stay for a while. But there are people I have to protect elsewhere. I have to go find them.”

 

“And what about school? Your family?”

 

Minhyun sighs and looks down at his hands.

 

“They knew. Yue says they’ve known about this all along. My sisters and my mom, they all knew about me. It’s in my blood, Jonghyun.”

 

Jonghyun feels his mind reeling.

 

“And what about me?”

 

Minhyun is silent for a long time.

 

“I’ll come visit. But- can we just, I don’t know, take it all in stride first? I’m not leaving yet. I will, just not too soon,” his voice softens as he looks at Jonghyun with his warm browns, pleading and lost. A small smile crosses his face as he nods. Minhyun breaks into a grin a second later, eyes lighting up, glinting in the sun.

 

“’Guess now we can bully Aron and Baekho into taking us with them on their jobs, eh?”

 

 

 

“No,” Ren says flatly. He’s splayed out on his lounge chair, legs in the air, dark hair in a flurry across the velvet as he glares at the four of them.

 

“Aw, but we’ll take care of them-” Baekho tries but is cut off by the withering look the boy gives him.

 

“Come back when you’ve proved that you’re responsible enough to not get yourself killed without me babysitting you,” Ren says pointedly at the two high school students who sit miserably with their heads inclined. Beside them, Aron sighs and turns to them with an apologetic smile.

 

“Now, get out. I want to sleep.”

 

“Sorry, kids. Even if we wanted to steal you guys away, we can’t travel without Boss’ permission,” he says later as they head out of the room. Baekho scoffs.

 

“I can’t believe we’ve been spending so many years taking orders from that kid.”

 

Jonghyun and Minhyun raise an eyebrow at him.

 

“How old did you say you two were?” Baekho asks, lumbering down the steps to the veranda.

 

“Eighteen,” they say in unison. Him and Aron share a look before smirking.

 

“Guess what,” he leans in and so do the two boys. “He’s younger than the both of you.”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

 

 

Their first job comes in the next day, just as Baekho and Aron dissolve in bright light.

 

The lady has long, bright red hair and looked to be in her early twenties. She seems pretty lost and has a dazed expression on her face.

 

“Hello,” Minhyun and Jonghyun greet in unison. She blinks, confused.

 

“Hello. Do you by any chance know where this is? I think I just wandered and accidentally got lost-”

 

“There are no accidents or coincidences in this world. You coming here is inevitable. It means you have a wish you would like granted.”

 

Ren’s voice echoes throughout the courtyard. The two boys share a look before Minhyun gives her a small smile.

 

“I’ll go prepare some tea,” he says before running off.

 

Jonghyun leads her into the shop, to the same room they dealt with Jihoon in. Ren is waiting for them in simple black slacks and a deep red velvet turtleneck embroidered with white lace at the collar and sleeves. His hair is loose and cascades down his shoulders, almost as if black coal was being melted.

 

“Sit,” he says calmly. It’s not an order but there’s a little push in his words. The girl hesitantly crosses the room and settles down opposite him. Minhyun pours the tea- Earl Grey this time around. She speaks without being prodded.

 

“Well, there isn’t anything I would call a wish but… I’ve been having difficulties moving my pinky lately. It doesn’t really hurt, though. And I’ve had it checked out. The doctor said there was nothing wrong.”

 

Just then, black smoke begins to weave through the air, a dreadful stench filling up the room. Jonghyun covers his nose up with his sleeve. Minhyun seems fine so it’s probably another one of _those_ cases, he thinks. Cases where only Jonghyun can see. Ren catches his eye and there is a glint of something in those deep grays.

 

“You have a bad habit, don’t you?” He asks the girl smoothly. The girl hums and cocks her head to one side, thinking.

 

“Habit?”

 

“Yes, anything that comes to mind?” Ren asks, though it’s obvious he already seems to know. The girl blinks rapidly once again before abruptly standing up.

 

“I-I don’t think so,” there is a hesitance in her voice that none of them miss. ”I’ve got an appointment I can’t miss, so I’ll be leaving. Thank you for the tea-”

 

“An appointment?”

 

“Yes, it’s this guy I’m meeting. I promised him, so I can’t miss it.”

 

The black smoke thickens and Jonghyun winces at the smell.

 

“Alright then. I’ll give you this.”

 

Ren holds out his hand. Metal catches the light. A ring.

  
“Wear this.” The girl eyes it wearily.

 

“If I wear it, will my finger get better?” Ren smirks.

 

“Who knows? Whether you wear it or not is up to you. Same for whether or not you fix that habit of yours.”

 

The girl brings a hand out, hesitating. After a moment, she takes it anyway and leaves with a hasty bow. Jonghyun shows her out and watches her red retreat down the street. There is something welling up at the base of his stomach; a bad feeling as he watches her turn the corner.

 

Ren has appeared behind him and watches silently.

 

“I think I’ll go check up on her. I don’t have a good feeling about this,” he says. Ren inclines his head, eyes closed.

 

“Do whatever you wish, Kim Jonghyun.”

 

 

 

She seems to be arguing with somebody on the phone as Jonghyun follows her from a distance, yelling something along the lines of ‘My feelings have changed’ and ‘Don’t call me anymore’ before hanging up.

 

Something catches her attention and she rummages through her bag as she rushes towards whatever it is. Strangely, she pulls out a pair of glasses and puts them on before greeting someone.

 

“Have you been waiting long?”

 

A big, burly guy raises his hand in greeting. “Nah, just got here.”

 

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” She pouts. The guys laughs.

 

“Not at all.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Gosh, why?” He guy seems a little flustered, scratching the back of his neck but just laughs it off once more, holding his pinky out. She hooks it with her own and smiles up to him.

 

“C'mon. It’s alright. After all, we are connect by the red string of fate, right? We’re meant to be!” She says with a giggle.

 

 _Pinky promise, hope to die,_  
_Swallow a thousand needles if you lie_

 

A child’s voice rings in his ears. Jonghyun looks around, trying to find it but there’s nothing but people walking in the street. When he turns back, the couple is gone.

 

The unsettling feeling in his stomach doesn’t fade.

 

 

 

They go back to school and manage to get away with a light warning. None of their friends seemed to have noticed their absence, nether did their teachers so they just carried on with school as usual.

 

“Hey, wanna drop by town today and go to that bakery with the lemon tarts?” Minhyun suggests as they shower after PhysEd. Jognhyun shrugs and nods.

 

They take the usual train.

 

Jihoon is there, too. They make eye contact but he merely ignores them and gets off at the next station without looking back.

 

The bakery is right next to Shibuya station, along with a couple of other popular cafes. It’s crowded but no more than it should be on a weekday.

 

And even through a sea of people wearing clothes from every possible spectre of styles with colourful make up and hair to match, Jonghyun doesn’t miss the bright red head sitting down at a table in the cafe opposite the bakery.

 

“Oh, isn’t that the girl from yesterday?” Minhyun asks beside him.

 

“Yeah but she’s… with a different guy,” he knits his eyebrows together. They slowly inch forward and try to get a better look.

 

“I kind of feel like a stalker-” Minhyun starts before Jonghyun shushes him.

 

They watch intently as she lights a cigarette and leans back to exhale the smoke luxuriously. The guy today is blonde and looks younger -probably high school. He watches her with his mouth gaping as she flicks the ash off the tip.

 

“You know, I’ve gotta go soon. Got a date with my friends at the amusement park,” she says. Her speech pattern is different, dialect is seeping in through each syllable unlike her flat Tokyo accent from the day before. The boy begins to pout.

 

“I thought we could maybe grab some dinner,” he says. She puts a hand to his cheek and leans in.

 

“How about Tuesday, okay baby?” He seems to brighten at that and nods enthusiastically. She offers him a smile before getting up to leave.

 

The two boys exchange looks and quickly follow her through the crowd.

 

It’s the guy from yesterday and she’s slipped on glasses again.

 

“Multiple identities?” Minhyun frowns as they link arms and enter the theme park.

 

“Do we have to follow them?”

 

Jonghyun nods. “Something’s up.”

 

“Hey, you smell of cigs,” the guy says. The girl’s face tenses for a split second before she sidles up to him even closer, smiling.

 

“You know I don’t smoke. It’s probably because of the old man sitting beside me earlier,” she whines. He nods, believing and pats her head as they continue to walk on.

 

The black smoke begins to weave through the air in thin, winding patterns. _She isn’t wearing the ring,_ Jonghyun notes. _Why would she go through such a drastic change of personality?_

 

Minhyun seems to be able to read his thoughts because he answers. “I think she’s just using them for what she wants. Taking advantage of the fact someone’s willing to spend on her.” Jonghyun blinks before nodding in agreement.

 

They follow the couple around for a bit. Nothing seemed to be happening until they reach a purple-pink-white hut.

 

**_Test your love!_ **  
_If your love is true, your fingers will be unable to cut._  
_However, if your love is false, the red string of destiny tying you together will be cut._

 

“Seems interesting, wanna try it out?” The guy asks. She looks up at him with a nervous smile and weakly nods. They walk in.

 

The place opens up to a small, empty arena where a single contraption stand in the middle. It is similar to one of those medieval devices that was used to cut peoples’ heads off. A worker stands beside it, waiting to assist them.

 

The wooden bar is lifted and the couple places their hands at the center, hooking their pinkies together. The girl looks awfully terrified.

 

Suddenly, the black smoke turns into a cloud and fills up the entire arena. Jonghyun lets out a weak gasp as he presses his arms against his nose.

 

“What? Is there something wrong?” Minhyun turns to him in worry. He waves him off.

 

Just as the worker lets go of the raised wooden bar, it morphs into something gray and shiny. Metal catches the sun.

  
_It’s a real blade._

 

“Stop!” Jonghyun shouts. White light erupts from the centre of the arena.

 

 

 

When Jonghyun regains his vision, the high school boy from earlier has appeared.

 

“You uh, you left your phone at the cafe and I came to return it,” he says meekly. She looks at him, confused. Her current date shifts beside her, eyes narrowing at the younger boy.

 

“Who’s this?” He asks gruffly. The boy looks at him with a frown.

 

“I thought you were out with your friends-”

 

“I found you!” An unfamiliar voice echoes from the other end of the arena. A man wearing office clothes jogs towards the small crowd looking disheveled.

 

“Why didn’t you call me back?! I was serious about it you know, about marrying you!” He cries out.

 

Jonghyun cringes into himself and he can feel Minhyun beside him do the same.

 

“It’s like a bad soap opera,” Minhyun mutters. The look of discomfort on his face would’ve been funny if they hadn’t been caught in the whole situation.

 

“You said it once, didn’t you? That we were bound by the red string?” He calls out again desperately. The girl stands frozen, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

 

“I-I didn’t mean it literally-” she begins but is cut off by her now-angry current-date.

 

“I heard that too!” He points an accusing finger at her.

  
“Me too!” More unfamiliar voices echo throughout the place as a few more men begin to appear out of the blue. The girl finally crumples to the floor and begins to cry.

 

“I think it’s about time we get out of here, don’t you think?” Minhyun suggests, already tugging Jonghyun along with him. They both jog out, all the way back to the shop.

 

 

 

“So the red string of fate was a lie, after all,” Jonghyun says in conclusion, sighing. Ren hums, pouring himself more tea before noisily setting it down on its tray.

 

“She was just using the red string to find a good man, but in the end it didn’t do her any good because none of them were actually her fated. You can’t meet them by looking for them, Kim Jonghyun. Just like how we met. The pull needs to be equal on both sides for them to attract,” he says. Suddenly, the boy holds up his hand and closes one eyes, peering at Jonghyun through his fingers.

 

“Your red string of fate, Kim Jonghyun, is connected to…”

 

Jonghyun’s heart begins to beat faster. He gulps, rooting himself to the spot. A smirk crosses Ren’s lips.

 

“Not telling.” Jonghyun sighs and wilts. _Of course._

 

“What about the black smoke?”

 

“The black smoke was a malicious entity; a collection of all the lies and empty promises she’d made, ready to bite her back. It’s a nasty little habit she had; making promises she wouldn’t keep, lying about things she didn’t have.

 

In this world, words are chains that can be used for more than tying down. They can be used to connect, and tie together. But they can also pile up and tear us apart,” he says solemnly. There is a still pause. The tension in the room multiplies.

 

“You knew about everything that was going to happen, didn’t you?” Jongyun asks lowly.

 

“I gave her a choice. She chose not to wear the ring. What had happened to her was bound to happen. Had she chosen to wear what I had given, I can’t say whether or not the outcome would’ve been the same,” Ren answers flatly. Jonghyun steps closer, head down.

 

“You knew about Minhyun and I from the start, right?”

 

Ren remains unfazed. His face has smoothed out into one of neutrality.

 

“The world is not just what has existed from before. It is something you make yourself. Your actions are of your own doing, but what comes after that is up to the powers of the inevitable. I merely waited for the time to come before I played my role in getting you here, Kim Jonghyun.”

 

“And Minhyun? You knew he was going away?” It comes out angrier than he’d expected of himself but Jonghyun can’t help it. The boy with the dark hair remains impassive.

 

“His fate was not mine to deal with. We’ve gone over this before, he is not my responsibility.”

 

Jonghyun nods and is about to turn to leave before Ren’s voice rings out.

 

“Your powers. You’ve awakened them, haven’t you?”

 

 _The bright light,_ Jonghyun remembers.

 

“Was that me?” The expression on the witch’s face tells him that he already knows the answer to his own question.

 

“How did I-”

 

“You have a long way to go. I will guide you only when I have to. Other than that, you’ll have to see for yourself. What you are. What you can do.”

 

With that, Jonghyun nods and steps back. He mutters a ‘goodbye’ and makes his way out.

 

As the shoji panels slide close, Ren leans back into his chair.

 

“Take all the time you need to build your world, Kim Jonghyun.”

 

 

 

There are many more small jobs like this as the months pass. Jonghyun tends to all of them, attempting to make use of his newly-discovered powers.

 

 _Purification,_ Aron says. _You’ve got the ability to cleanse and suppress spirits, although you need a lot more time to develop it._

 

“What about you two?” Jonghyun asks. Baekho shrugs.

 

“I’m good with a sword, I guess,” he says simply.

 

“I’m good at diplomacy,” Aron answers confidently. Jonghyun isn’t sure if those were actual powers but he takes their word for it, seeing as how none of them had ever come back with more than a scratch on their skin after their jobs.

 

Minhyun leaves right before graduation.

 

Jonghyun isn’t as sad as he thought he would be. Neither of them are. There is an understanding between them, and the reassurance of frequent visits. He sends his best friend off with wishes of good health and safety.

 

As he watches Minhyun leave the shop, Jonghyun catches a glimpse of silver-white wings and snowy hair under the sunlight for one moment, before it’s just warm brown calling out good bye to him.

 

_\- it always affects the people around you -_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hold on, it's going to get a little rough from now the next chapter may or may not be the last, we'll see  
> also, hmu on tumblr: vviths

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry if a lot of you don't get the references. I tried to tone it down a bit. Probably didn't work. This fic is mainly for self-indulgence purposes but I wanted to share it anyway. If you have any questions about the references/ world/ anything you don't understand pls pls pls don't hesitate to ask (i love explaining this stuff to ppl im serious). Leave a comment if you enjoyed it!


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